A FORKLIFT driver was crushed to death under a half ton bale of plastic while unloading a truck full of DIY equipment.

John Rowland, 25, died from multiple injuries following the accident at Tibbet and Britten in Preston Brook in April 2004.

An inquest at Warrington heard that Mr Rowland, of Coronation House, Festival Way, Runcorn, was unloading a wagon load of goods from DIY chain B&Q when he was crushed by a bale of plastic which had been wrongly placed on top of a pallet.

His colleague John Groome told the hearing that the pair were nearing the end of their shift at 8.40pm when the bale slipped from his forklift.

Mr Groome was unaware that Mr Rowland had left his own forklift truck and was shocked to discover the bale had fallen on him.

Mr Groome told the inquest that it was normal practice for management to be informed if bales of plastic were incorrectly stacked on the pallets.

However, on the day of the accident, management were not informed.

Tibbet and Britten has since been taken over by another firm and safety procedures had been tightened up.